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Rosemary Mackey
(630)
293-2200 x139
rmackey@westchicago.org |
City of West
Chicago
475 Main
Street
West Chicago,
Illinois 60185 |
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West Chicago's Gifted and Talented Students Heading to
International Competition with Help From CN Railroad
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Jim Kvedaras, CN Director – US Government Affairs Southern Region (at left), presents gifted and talented students from Pioneer School with a check for $7,000 to help them get to an International Future Problem-Solving Competition in Wisconsin. |
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Detective Robbi Peterson (back right) is pictured with students from Pioneer School at an award ceremony in which students received funding to pursue an international competition. Detective Peterson and the West Chicago Fraternal Order of Police were instrumental in securing the donation from CN railroad on behalf of the students and their project related to railway safety. |
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West Chicago, Illinois: June 4, 2010 – Pioneer Elementary School fifth and sixth-graders in the Gifted and Talented Education class had a lot to smile about on Tuesday. They had found a way to attend the International Future Problem Solving Competition to be held in Wisconsin June 9-14th thanks to the generosity of CN railroad.
The students, who won first prize in the state competition for a project related to train safety, were hard-pressed for funds needed to continue on to compete with students from around the world. Due to budget cuts at West Chicago Elementary School District 33, the students needed to raise $7,000 through bake sales and other fundraising efforts. It was a tall order.
Thanks to the determination of teacher Kathy Grogan, and the support of the West Chicago Fraternal Order of Police and Detective Robbi Peterson, a donation was secured through CN to cover their expenses. A check in the amount of $7,000 was presented to the students in a classroom ceremony by CN's Director of US Government Affairs, Jim Kvedaras. "We are proud to be able to support these students and their efforts to build a stronger community," said Jim Vena, CN Senior Vice President, Southern Region. "We wish them luck in this week's competition."
The worthy project, which proposes a solution to the dangers of pedestrian-train accidents in their community, led the students to create a detailed proposal for a fence to surround the tracks, and a recommendation for posting warning signs in English and Spanish. According to Detective Robbi Peterson, their award-winning community-solving project has tremendous merit, and struck a personal chord for him and other members of the West Chicago Police Department. "I, unfortunately, was one of the responding officers the day the 3-year old was killed two years ago. I hope their (the students') efforts will make it possible that none of us ever have to see a preventable tragedy like that happen again," said Detective Peterson.
A 5-foot high cyclone fence is actually being planned for the near future as part of the City's settlement after CN's merger with the EJ&E Railroad.
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| CITY OF WEST
CHICAGO 475 Main Street, West Chicago, Illinois
60185 T - (630)
293-2200 www.westchicago.org |
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